Improved casteftfor sewing-machines



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RICHMOND HATHAWAY, OF CHICOPEE, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVED CASTERIFOR SE-WING-MACHINES. y

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 75,755, dated March 24, 1868.

To all whom it mayooaoem:

Be it known that I, RICHMOND HATHAwAY, of Chicopee, Hampden county, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improved Adj ustable Caster for Sewin g- Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and clear description thereof, reference bein ghad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon. p p

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of `my invention, and Fig. 2 a similar view of the same in a different position.

The object of this invention isto form a caster for a sewing-machine which can be brought in and out of play easily and conveniently, allowing the machine to moved about upon rollers, and yet to set firmly upon the iloor when in position.

In order to accomplish this, I form-each set of casters at the sides of the machine upon l an arrangement of shipping-levers, operated by a treadle and handle at one side. In the drawings is shown the side having the treadle A and hand-lever B, which oper` ate the shippers C and C'. These last consist of bars pivoted at their centers on each side of the center of the-frames D, forming the legs of the table. The center pivots of the levers C and C' are fixed upon the frame at a and a. On each side of the machine, on the outerends of each respectively,vare attached the shanks b and b' of the casters.- These shanks workin guides cand c', and are jointed at their upper ends to the outer ends of the levers C and C', as before stated. The levers C and C' are hinged at their inner ends to a vertical rod, E, which is attached at its upper end, at d, to the end of the handle-lever B, which is pivoted upon the frame of the machine at F.

When the rod E is pressed downward, by lifting up the handle G of the lever B the incams upon the bottom surface/of the rod E `at the joint with the levers C and C', thus raising their inner ends and depressing the outer ones, and with them the casters, so that the machine is raised and rests upon the casters. A projecting stop, f, up0n the bottom of the joint prevents the cam from passing the center.

This operation also, reversing the rst operl ation mentioned, brings the handle Gr down, and its lever on the same side may then be latched under a notch, g, upon the frame, thus securely lockingthe shipping device and holding the machine upon the casters.

When it is desired to let it down upon its solid feet,- this handle is moved aside out of the lock, and the weight of the machine will bring it down.

By this means I render the sewing-machine a portable piece of furniture, moved by rolling, as the ordinary articles of a room are, and yet allows it to be iiXed firmly in a moment of timeby merely unlocking the hand-lever as described. At the joint of each caster with the levers C and C' is a shoulder, i, and a rubber Washer, k, is put around the shank against it. This prevents any jar or wear between the shoulder and the top surface of the guide c, and also makes less noise in shippina treadle at both sides of the machine, for the shaftH may be carried entirely across from side to side, and have a cam, K, for each set of shippers, and operated by one tre'adle.

-The handle may also be rigid upon upon its pivot, which would consist of a cross-shaft,

shown.

RICHMOND HATHAWAY. Witnesses:

EDWARD H. HYDE, WM. H. BRADBURY.

Itis not necessary that there should bea 

